From the Children’s Laureate of England, a stunning novel of the First World War, a boy who is on its front lines, and a childhood remembered.

“They’ve gone now, and I’m alone at last. I have the whole night ahead of me, and I won’t waste a single moment of it . . . I want tonight to be long, as long as my life . . .” For young Private Peaceful, looking back over his childhood while he is on night watch in the battlefields of the First World War, his memories are full of family life deep in the countryside: his mother, Charlie, Big Joe, and Molly — the love of his life. Too young to be enlisted, Thomas has followed his brother to war and now, every moment he spends thinking about his life, means another moment closer to danger.

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In 1944, when her brother is overseas fighting in World War II, eleven-year-old Margaret changes her mind about the school bully, Gordy, after she discovers he is hiding his own brother, a deserter. “There is plenty of action and page-turning suspense (and) much to ponder and reflect on as well.” — School Library Journal, starred review

Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.

Charley Quinn never ran away from a fight in his life. After all, he’s one of the Bowery Boys, the toughest street gang in New York City. So after his older brother is killed at Gettysburg, Charley vows revenge and enlists with the Union Army as a drummer boy.

But when the horrors of war become a reality – and he sees his best friend killed – Charley is terrified. He “skedaddles” away from both the Union Army he’s deserted and the Confederates who would arrest him as a spy.

Charley heads for the Blue Ridge Mountains. There he meets Granny Bent, an ornery, secretive old woman who is suspicious of the young Yankee deserter. Until an act of selfless courage – far from the sounds of cannons and gunfire – proves to Granny, and to Charley himself, that he’s not the coward he thought himself to be.

Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.

Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, our posts may contain affiliate links to Amazon.com. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site.